A Guide to Making Stud-Link Chain for Scale Shipmodeling

Written by Gerald Spargo

HOW TO MAKE STUD-LINK CHAIN

This is a small tutorial on how I made the stud-lin !hain "or m# Charles W$ Mor%an$ It is a &er# tedious 'ro(e!t) *ut i" done !orre!tl# #ou !an ma e some &er# authenti! loo in% !hain "or #our an!hors$ I will state here at the start) that there are im'ro&ements that !an *e made to the ma in% o" this !hain to ma e it e&en *etter$ LETS +ET STA,TED- .Done in %ra#-s!ale "or !larit#$/ 0irst #ou must "ind the a''ro'riate si1ed wire "or #our !hain$ The si1e o" wire I used was 2$23244 *rass$ Ea!h lin turned out to *e a*out 5mm lon%) *# 3mm wide$ M# model o" the Mor%an is 6789th s!ale) or 576844:64244 Ste' 6- Clam' the end o" the wire in the &er# ti' o" a small 'air o" needle nose 'liers$ No need to let the wire 'rotrude out the other side o" the 'liers) unless #ou want to "ile the end o" the wire "lat$ ;end the wire to <2 de%rees$ Use this "irst ste' to determine the inside width o" the lin $ I" #our !hain needs to *e *i%%er) then 'la!e the wire at the a''ro'riate si1in% o" the 'lier (aws$

Ste' 3- To ma e sure it has a %ood shar' *end) I use another 'air o" 'liers to s=uee1e it$ Ste' 5- Now remo&e the wire "rom the needle nose 'liers) and 'ut the wire into a 'air o" round nose 'liers$ This where #ou !an determine how *i% #our !hain lin will *e$ I" #ou want it smallest it !an *e) then #ou wor at the &er# ti' o" the 'liers$ I" #ou want it *i%%er) then (ust mo&e it down the 'lier (aws till it is the si1e #ou desire$ Ste' 9- Ti%htl# wra' the wire around the 'lier (aws$ Ste' >- +i&e an e?tra s=uee1e as #ou did in ste' 3$ Ste' 8- ,emo&e "rom the 'liers$ Ste' @- Cli' o"" the e?!ess wire$ Ma e sure it is as "lush to the stud as 'ossi*le$ .Sometimes hard to do/ Ste' A- This is what #ou end u' with$ Doesn4t loo li e mu!h at this 'oint$ Ste' <- On!e #ou ha&e some lin s made) #ou !an start 'uttin% them to%ether$ When #ou 'ut them to%ether) tr# to ee' the lin s runnin% the same dire!tion$ As #ou !an see in the 'i!tures) one loo' o" the lin has more s'a!e than the other hal" o" the lin $ So i" #ou ee' them runnin% in the same dire!tion) the !hain will ha&e a more uni"orm loo to it$

Ste' 62- Now i" #ou are %ood at solderin%) then solderin% would *e to wa# to %o as "ar as !losin% in the !onne!tion 'oints o" these lin s$ I" not) .li e me/ then su'er%lue will wor as well$ The onl# two thin%s we are a"ter here are !losin% the %a's so the lin s don4t !ome a'art "rom ea!h other) and to %et an authenti! welded loo $ Solder) and su'er%lue will %i&e the same result in these two as'e!ts$ Solderin% will %i&e #ou a mu!h stron%er !hain thou%h$

+i&in% the !hain its "inish loo A"ter all the ste's ha&e *een !arried out) I s'a# 'ainted the !hain with 44Kr#lon44 Ultra-0lat ;la! ) Camou"la%e 'aint$ When dr#) I ru**ed some o" Do! O4;rien4s Mudd#-,ed weatherin% 'owder on to %i&e it a little rust) and worn loo $

NOTENow #ou !ould "ile down the end o" a 'air o" needle nose 'liers to sa&e some ste's$ That would *e "ine i" all the !hain #ou ma e is the same si1e$ ;ut i" #ou end u' ma in% !hain "or a di""erent s!ale shi' at this time) and ma#*e another s!ale at another time) then #our %oin% to ha&e man# di""erent "iled down 'liers la#in% around$ I 're"er the additional ste's as des!ri*ed$ This wa# I !an ma e di""erent si1es usin% the same 'liers$ DoesnBt reall# ta e that lon% to ma e the lin s$ The time !onsumin% 'art is in the solderin% or %luin% o" the !onne!tion 'oints$

Chotos o" !hain in it "inal 'la!e) on the shi'-